South African Minister of State Security Dipuo Letsatsi-Duba makes it clear that while the Jewish community is under no particular threat, the department of state security takes seriously its mandate to protect the country’s citizens.

Lawyers are preparing criminal and civil charges following one of the darkest weeks of anti-Semitism in South Africa. There have been a slew of vile incidents that sent shock waves through the community.

The SA Friends of the Beit Halochem Zahal Disabled Veterans Organisation was established in Johannesburg in 1982, its primary goal being to help and support Zahal disabled veterans by raising funds to help them return and resume their normal lives as soon as possible.

Dr Ali Bacher, former South African cricket captain and administrator, was one of the five recipients of the 2018 Steve Tshwete Lifetime Achievement Awards at the SA Sport Awards held in Bloemfontein on Sunday night.

Devotion to the cause of the State of Israel flourishes in the most unlikely places, even in societies where the Jewish presence is small to non-existent. Such is the case in Mozambique, where the work of Beth-El Associacao Crista Amigos De Israel - Mozambican Christian Friends of Israel - testifies to how much can be achieved by those inspired by their Christian faith to promote the Israeli cause, despite adverse conditions.

JNF’s unique “Blue Boy Box” now lives at King David Linksfield Pre-Primary so that children of each generation learn the importance of tzedakah (charity or welfare). It is the responsibility of Jews all over the world to build Israel, develop it and nurture it as the home of the Jewish nation

“Knowledge is Light” was our school motto when I was a child in Durban. The importance of education was made clear to us from as far back as I can remember. It wasn’t taken for granted. A good education was a privilege.

Late on Tuesday, a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into effect. While at the time of writing the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) had still not confirmed the existence of such a truce, Israeli citizens living in the south of the country were told they could return home and to “normalcy”.

The Israeli gymnastics team was out in full force at 48th FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships that began at Aspire Dome in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday. There are five males and two females in the team headed by new Israeli sensation Artem Dolgopyat. The others are Alexander Shatilov, Ilan Korchak, Andrey Medvedev, and Michael Sorokine, while the women are Ofir Netzer and Meitar Lavy.

As I was heading home on Tuesday, I heard on ChaiFM that 460 rockets had been fired from Gaza into Israel since late Sunday. That is an outrageous number. If every one of them hit inhabited areas, thousands of Israelis would have been killed.

“The president is not directly responsible for acts of domestic terrorism, but he should be more careful with his language.” That’s the way the Economist headlined its report on the horrific Pittsburgh killings just more than two weeks ago.

With Prince William’s historic visit to Israel this week, all eyes have been trained on the Jewish capital. It may have taken 70 years, but the first official visit by a member of the British Royal family began in Israel on Monday, when William, the Duke of Cambridge, arrived in Tel Aviv.

Some 5 600 emissaries (shluchim) from Chabad-Lubavitch from all over the world gathered at the Pier 8 warehouse in Brooklyn, New York this week for the opening of their four-day annual international conference and banquet, 75 years after the arrival of the Lubavitcher Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson, from Europe.

“The greatness of our nation is that our people are great. We are a nation of heroes, of people with good and decent moral fibre who will not tolerate our country being plundered!” So said Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein in Pretoria this morning.“This is a struggle for accountability and justice,” Goldstein told the crowd (which included prominent Jewish CEOs like Adrian Gore, Stephen Koseff and Michael Katz). “This struggle is about sovereignty. The power of the people always triumphs in the end.”

Live blog from the big Glenhazel bash

As with any live blogging, users have to accept that speed is often given preference over accuracy and that typographical errors can and will occur. These will be amended at the end of the post.

by
ANT KATZ | Nov 27, 2013

Okay – so as I read what I’m blogging I feel like I am a paid advert for this incredible community party – I am not – I am here of my own volition as the online editor of SAJR Online so that those who can’t be here live, around the town. Country or the world can share it. (I haven’t even been offered a cold drink - hint, hint!!) But I am posting live to a humungous screen her in the middle of the action’

>>>>>>>>>>>>Posted 20h05

One of the problems has been connectivity. The wi-fi systems at the KosherWorld centre have been overwhelmed. I eventually had to switch to my 3G dongle (I never leave home without it). Put a few thousand Yids in a room and what do you expect. Even my 3G can’t keep up with them!

The winner of the Executive Business Class trip to anywhere in the world is…:

Pearl Freedman – lost it because she wasn’t here.

Paul Fisher – also not here (bet you feel like a shmutz!)

James Brackenridge – (no James)

Natalie ?????????????? (sent over 200 sms’) going to see her 84-year old Gran in Israel. MAZELTOV! I’ll add the surname tomorrow.

Now its thundering, raining and lightening like crazy. This is now a party that is going to come to a quick conclusion.

>>>>>>>>>>>>Posted 19h55

Okay – I’m back. Karen, you still there?

I took a walk and took some pics (will post later/tomorrow). And I had a smoke too.

There are still hundreds and hundreds of people here – the food queues are shortening, the shoppers are shopping. People are grouped in private parties all over the show, the passages, the steps – wherever you look.

The parking lot is buzzing – the queue for the Chip n Dip must be 30-deep.

The crowd is an absolute community mix – secular and frum (okay, more frum), young and old (okay, truth be told, the music has scared a lot of the old folks away. Even turning their hearing aids down didn’t seem to work).

But it’s the families that are so amazing to watch. Parents, kids, babies and even the toppies all hanging together.

The lightening is threatening to cause a storm so they are doing the draw for the airticket – to anywhere in the world – only those still here are eligible. In five minutes one of the thousands of entrants will be blown away – or should that be flown away.

Stay tuned…

>>>>>>>>>>>>Posted 19h25

>>>>>>>>>>>>Posted 19h11

I have to make an admission here – I have what I call my conference bag. It has extentions, a lamp in case the lights go low, everything! I even checked it this morning. I have the camera. Charger. Spare battery (charged). I forgot the blooming cable to connect to my laptop!! I had it out after Monday last week’s live blog at the Ambassador’s speech and didn’t put it back! Clot! Pics tomorrow guys. Or later. BTW we had hundreds fillowing the live blog at the Ambassador’s inceredible speech.

You can either leave the computer/tablet on and regularly hit “refresh” or keep checking back. I’m off to take dome pics – back in in a bit.

>>>>>>>>>>>>Posted 19h01

What a party!

The parking lot is full. Folks are pouring flowing into the street. This has to now be the biggest party in Glenhazel ever. And the LOUDEST with Johnny Sklaar on the stage.

There is plenty more entertainment to come – and deep into the night – so if you are not here – get here! If you live within two kms you can’t hear yourself think anyway so come and get blown away with the rest of us!

You’ll have to park aways away – but it’ll be worth it – would I lie to you?

>>>>>>>>>>>>Posted 18h48

Kathy thanks staff, community leadership and her family. “I’d like to thank my beautiful children.” Don’t go anywhere, says Kathy, we still have so much fun to have and a free airline ticket to anywhere in the world.

The Johnny Sklaar Band have taken to the stage and Nobody in Glenhazel cannot be hearing all this.

>>>>>>>>>>>>Posted 18h44

Rabbi Michael Katz is explaining why we light the Minora – and that it is so special that so many Jews are gathered together – there must be a thousand people at least.

Rabbi Katz says this is the first time in many years that we celebrate Chanukah in November.

Rabbi Katz congratulates ChaiFM and a special message to Kathy Kahler for what she has done for the community.

Thanks too to Joel Back and the team at KosherWorld for their part and for putting up with the community.

Rabbi Katz reminds everyone that their mitzvah is not fulfilled by being here – but they must go home and still light their own Chanukia

>>>>>>>>>>>>Posted 18h36

The Minora/Chanukia has been lit and the bracha - Everyone joining the rabbi and the band is twanging along with the Hazman Hazeh as best they can.

Now the singing and dancing is really getting lively – everyone’s calpping and dancing

>>>>>>>>>>>>Posted 18h30

Everyone is gathering downstairs in the parking lot waiting for the giant candle to be lit– the band is cooking and adults and kids alike are having a ball. The Chai party is rocking too.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

As with any live blogging, users have to accept that speed is often given preference over accuracy and that typographical errors can and will occur. These will be amended at the end of the post.